The Romantic Misadventures of Famous Huntresses
by AYangThang
Summary: Because love is never easy, and sanity is overrated. Romance, humor, drama...the gambit, basically.
1. Chapter 1

**AYangThang:** Purely an experiment in shipping. I blame several nights of discord chats, skype conversations, emails, and a collective desire of several different people to see this shit-fest become a thing. Likely a bad idea in the making. I lost a bet Thursday night, so now it's got to be posted…

And yes I am indeed going to hell.

Weiss/Glynda, Yang/Blake, Ruby/Pyrrha...and god only knows what else...

 **The Romantic Misadventures of Famous Huntresses**

Four women sat at an airstrip, waiting for the airbus to Vale to come by and pick them up. The rest of the journey home to be an overnight flight at best, and the members of team RWBY were exhausted.

"The airbus is over an hour late." Weiss ranted, checking the time on her scroll. She couldn't even make a call thanks to all of the interference.

"It's always late, Weiss." Ruby said, leaning on the wall with her arms crossed. "They have to make special flight plans just to get out here."

"Don't worry, Ruby. She's just mad because she's been blue beaned for a week." Yang smirked from behind her aviator glasses.

Weiss gave Yang something of a look but chose not to comment. In her opinion there were two types of hunters. Ones with a reason to be out in the field, and ones who were aimlessly wandering around, willing to help Remnant. You could see the differences of these two types at a glance. The ones with a reason were rougher around the edges. They kept to themselves, and their team. They could be friendly, but most of the time they simply didn't bother befriending total strangers. They took more missions, but profit was not usually a primary concern.

The second type of hunters were almost always friendly and charismatic. However, they were also boisterous. Picking up suitors in the pubs, and making shows of their abilities. They were skilled, of course. Some of them were the most talented people Weiss had ever come to know. Sometimes they were aggravating, but they were generally well meaning people, more or less.

However, no matter what type of hunter you were, you were not safe from temptation. As travelers, they were often smothered by it. Sex, alcohol, and a plethora of drugs were second nature among hunters, and the talk of such things were equally common practice. Be it from thrill seeking, or stress, everyone found a vice and clung dearly to it. Even Weiss couldn't avoid a few lapses in good judgment, even if she desperately wanted to.

"Well?" Yang asked, elbowing Weiss in the side to get her attention.

The usually dignified woman huffed. The heat of the day was getting to her, and yang was one of the huntresses she found both endearing and aggravating. "I'm afraid to ask, but what is it now, Yang?"

"Nothing much, I guess. Now that you mention it though, I'm kinda curious, what's good ole Glyn like in bed?"

Caught between letting her eyes bug out at the question or turning a deep shade of scarlet, she opted for a mix of both. Indignantly spluttering before mortification won. "I didn't mention my intimate life! You mentioned it for me, and I refused to answer." Weiss shot back. "It's none of your business what I get up to in my private time."

"Either that, you you're not allowed to say it." Yang said with a shrug. "I'll be she's a total dommie, right?"

Come on, Yang, stop." Ruby said, stepping into the mild argument. "That's really gross."

"Careful little sis, you're on my radar too." Yang said with a teasing grin. "Ever since you moved out, you keep avoiding my questions about you and Pyrrha. I might get bored and start asking about you guys instead."

"Are we really talking about this here of all places?" Ruby asked, partially disgusted, and mildly freaked out that her sister might just do exactly that.

"Apparently." Blake murmured, discretely pinching Yang's ass in the way of a warning.

"I'm just curious, that's all. I feel like I need to make sure you two are being taken care of…especially since Weiss is the dancing to the tune of Hot for Teacher."

"Former teacher, you blundering offense to social propriety." Weiss cut in. "I have no idea what kind of sick perversions you have going on in your head, Yang, but Glynda isn't like that."

"Sure she isn't." Yang retorted waggling her eyebrows playfully. "Weiss, she uses a riding crop as a weapon."

"And you use your fists for yours. Does that suddenly make you an abusive and brainless twit?" Weiss replied back with a snap in her voice.

"Well, no." Yang said after a moment. "At least, _I_ don't think so."

"My point exactly." Weiss sighed, waving the blonde off. "Appearances are not always how they appear, and semblances don't have any functionality in the confines of a relationship. Weaponry certainly doesn't, no matter what it happens to be."

Yang grinned dirtily, opening her mouth to comment on that little detail when Blake pinched her ass again, this time particularly hard. "Yang…" Blake threatened with a glare in her eyes. "Don't you dare."

Ruby looked over to her nearly canoodling teammates. Even after being with her team for over a handful of years, she still couldn't get over all the ways Yang and Blake could melt her brain without even trying to. "Annnd that's way more information about your sex lives than I _ever_ wanted to know." Ruby said. "Thanks guys, like I didn't have enough nightmare fuel without that in my head."

"Don't mention it." Blake half growled at her partner and girlfriend.

"Speaking of that…" Yang trailed off, struggling with the question at the forefront of her mind. "Have you and Pyr started using those dental dams yet?"

If looks could kill, Yang would have been dead three times over from three different directions. The youngest of the group turned a deep shade of tomato red before finding her voice. "Ew, Yang. Just no, okay? No."


	2. Chapter 2

"It'll be so good to be home." Ruby said quietly as she looked out of her window. Weiss always gave her that seat so that Ruby could pass the long night flights with something to do. While she was always grateful for it, she really just wanted to go home to her small studio apartment. "What's the first thing you're going to do when you get back?"

"I'll take a hot shower and collapse into bed." Weiss replied, looking over the paper media that was given to her at the start of their flight.

"Really, that's it?"

"Yes." Weiss replied. "It's a weekday, Glynda has classes to teach, and as a team, we have reports to make. Staying up late would be a terrible idea." She folded away the paper and glanced to the side. "I'll be seeing you home first. I'm not entirely convinced your injuries have fully healed, and you live closer to me than your sister."

"I'm not hurt anymore, so it's fine." Ruby said, her fingers lifting to the gash across her forehead. Her hair covered it slightly, but it was still visibly tender to the touch. Aura was powerful, but a full force blow to the head still required medical care.

"Hmm." Weiss sounded, catching Ruby's chin with her thumb and finger. It was easy to catch Ruby in a lie, but this time she seemed to be telling the truth. Even so, Weiss didn't want to risk it. "I'd still rather accompany you."

"You don't have to."

"I want to. Now close your eyes and rest, we still have another three hours before we land."

The flight was a relatively long one, but it gave Weiss plenty of time to think about the woman waiting for her back in Vale.

Being labeled a fully-fledged huntress was the most liberating thing she had ever done. Being part of the well-respected team RWBY certainly had its perks too. Earning her own pay gave her finical independence from her father. Taking missions cleared her of the sins that cloaked her family's past. Seeing the world of Remnant with her own eyes gave her an education that the schools could have only wished to grant an aspiring mind.

However, those details were expected, and frankly, normal for a huntress of her particular caliber.

What was decidedly abnormal, was that when Weiss returned home from each and every mission, she went to Beacon. She always entered in on the faculty side of the building. Everyone noticed, and of course, the rumors flew wildly about the several affairs Weiss might be having with the males of the prestigious academy. No one presumed for a second that she might be a lesbian, or that her bedfellow was decidedly of the fairer gender.

The rumors most certainly didn't include the famed Glynda Goodwitch, one of the most deadly huntresses to ever take students under her wing.

Then again, it was probably some sort of terrible taboo to have a significantly older lover. The gap between them went unspoken, but it was large enough to prove a concern, at least publicly. If Weiss were honest with herself, their relationship was neither as fast nor as debauched as everyone made it seem...however, taking every precaution meant making sure that not too many people knew about their relationship.

The people they could trust explicitly knew, but anyone beyond that were compelled to wonder, and that, Weiss decided, was for the best.

"Weiss?"

"Hmm?"

"Why doesn't she hang out with us when we all go out?"

"It would be questionable publicity." Weiss said calmly. "It's the same reason Pyrrha and I are very careful about where we're seen together. We're high profile, popular people to scrutinize. The tabloids like to write garbage about all sorts of things. Most of it goes on ignored by the majority, but all it takes is for one story to sound somewhat true before it becomes a problem."

"Yeah, but Weiss, everyone knows that the stuff they write about isn't true."

"Have you seen the most recent gossip articles? They cannot seem to decide who I'm in a relationship with. Even this paper right here, presumes that you and I are dating because we were seen together on the boat just last month." She showed the photograph of the two of them. In the shot, Ruby was laying her head in her partner's lap with her eyes closed.

What the image failed to detail, was that Ruby had the propensity to become terribly sea sick on long voyages. She had fallen victim to the angry waves not an hour before. Ruby had been in agony and was doing her best to hide it...there was nothing even remotely romantic about that terrible trip to slay Grimm across the coastline. It had been a mission, and nothing else.

"That's so weird." Ruby said with a frown, worrying that Pyrrha might see it in the news and get upset. Not because she would get the wrong idea, but that she would be able to tell just how sick ruby had gotten thanks to the rough waters and long boat ride. "See, this is why I really think we should all just be like Blake and Yang. They don't have these kinds of problems."

"Oh, trust me, Ruby, they do. They simply don't care how the media makes it look. However, to say that Yang's been under fire is a huge understatement. I know you think the world tries to function under the best of intentions, but it doesn't. If she could have, I'm sure Pyrrha would have made a public statement about the two of you as soon as you turned into a legalized adult. However, the media isn't that kind, and I'm sure you two aren't ready to face all of that public backlash just yet."

"I wish it didn't have to be this way." Ruby said softly.

"Me too." Weiss said. "However, waiting for the right time is the key. One day, you'll both be ready, and then a statement can be made."


	3. Chapter 3

They might have had a private room on the airbus containing four luxury chairs that reclined back, but the sister's ability to snore so loudly never failed to surprise Weiss. Yang's racket was particularly unladylike when her aura was beaten to a pulp, and it was a wonder she had that kind of energy to expend unconsciously at all...though, she was also very glad for it, because she had heard silence from Yang before, and that had been terrifying.

Ruby's snores were quieter, but still like sandpaper whenever she used Weiss as a makeshift pillow. "I've said it before, I'll say it again. They both sleep like logs."

"I gave Yang a sleeping pill." Blake explained with a gentle voice, running her fingers through the blonde tresses that threatened to bury Yang every time she turned her head.

"Nightmares?" Weiss asked, watching Blake nod. "Are they as bad as they were before?"

"No, but, you know just as well as I do that she was more than a little scared of getting on this flight." Blake wasn't sure when exactly Yang's fear of flying had begun, but she knew it was one thing of many that troubled Yang greatly during their travels, even if she did hide her fears beneath her perfect smirk, and terrible humor.

Weiss sighed. "I knew I should have booked the train."

"Yang just doesn't like to worry us, you know that." Then Blake looked over to Ruby. "Besides, we need to get Ruby home. These week long missions away from the communication towers make Pyrrha very upset."

"Well, in all fairness, Ruby is the most accident prone person I've ever met." Weiss replied dryly. "I'd be worried too, if I got so many calls from Vale General Hospital. Look at this, it's horrible looking. You know how Pyrrha is. She's going to be upset as soon as she sees it."

"It's not as bad as when Ruby broke her ribs after she fell off of that water tower." Blake said, knowing they'd all feared the worst back then. "Pyrrha understands the situation better than anyone. She may not like it, but she does accept it."

"Perhaps." Weiss said, though honestly, she wasn't entirely sure about that. "You speak with her casually more than I do anymore. How does she like her new assignment?"

"She hates it." Blake said with a small laugh. "I've never seen her despise something so vehemently in all the time I've known her. Mind you, Qrow has been known to actually get her to curse."

"He has a gift for that." Weiss frowned. "He's managed the same feat with my elder sister."

"Speaking of your elder sister, has..." Blake stopped and looked around the cabin, her ears twitching carefully in search of something. Then her voice lowered. "Has Glynda told you anymore about… _it_?"

Weiss shook her head. "She doesn't know the details."

"I don't think I believe that."

"No one besides Qrow does, and he's being tight lipped." Weiss said. "She argues with him sometimes, and it isn't pretty. I've overheard a few...less than desirable arguments about that matter. She wishes she knew, but Qrow won't tell her, not yet."

"I don't like this..."

"Me either, however Glynda assures me we'll know more when the time is right."

"And...if your sister...if she is one of _them_..."

"It's possible. It could happen to any one of us, at any time. We fit into the parameters, Blake. Winter's been involved in this for much longer than we have. I have every reason to believe she may have been...chosen..."

"Why won't Qrow just tell us the truth?"

Weiss looked over to Yang, and then to Ruby. "Truthfully? Let's assume for a moment that Winter is...one of them, as we both suspect. I also then have to assume that Qrow isn't acting with malice. I assume it's a misguided attempt to protect those he cares about. The farther away he keeps me from Winter, the safer he keeps Ruby and Yang...after all, it only takes a single wayward thought while on the brink of death to be given such unimaginable power...if Winter were to face trouble and think of me...or worse, anyone on this team..."

"Okay..." Blake trailed off with an agitated sigh. "I see your point, but Weiss, we don't have the luxury to be coddled. Not this time, and I don't want Yang in any more danger than she already puts herself it...but it's time to face facts...it's time for bold moves. Ones Glynda and the others aren't willing to take. They're cowards."

"They're just doing what they believe to be best."

"I know, Weiss, I know. Trust me." Blake sighed, reaching over to hold Yang's metal hand in her own. "It's just, we're stronger than ever before. We should use that strength in one final lush...but we won't, because it'll never be the right time for that."

"And what if Yang's the cost in that final push?" Weiss asked quietly. "She lost her arm last time, Blake, what will she loose this time?" Weiss looked over to Yang. "I have no doubt in my mind she would put her entire life on the line if it meant this situation would be over and done with...but her life isn't the concern. What if she were to lose me, or Ruby...what if she lost you? Blake, please don't loose sight of this team again. The repercussions last time were dire, I don't even dare think of what they would be like this time around."

"I just don't want another civil war to break out. The implication of peace between humans and the Faunus hinges on so much. Even with my father as the leader again, and with all of you supporting this, and Beacon's help...the White Fang has been more inclusive than it's been in years...it's just so, so fragile. These people are aimless now, without a cause, without hope...and that's what caused divisions in the organization the last time."

"No one said rebuilding Vale would be easy, Blake. I know it had to have been hard for you to come back, but your father is right. You had to, the Vale branch needed a leader. You need to believe that they're worthy of your protection and leadership. I know it upsets them. They're doing so much work for such little thanks or acknowledgement. They need to be calm, and collected. They need to be helpful, this is their home too. Vale needs to be able to trust the White Fang again."

"but what do I do, Weiss?"

Weiss sighed. "Your father is the leader of the White Fang again. As your father, and technically your superior, just do as he says. Make sure the Vale branch keeps their heads down and out of trouble...keep giving them jobs around the city...and if it feels like things are getting out of hand, just ask for help. You have some very powerful human alliances, Blake. If the Faunus under your command keep working hard, the petty charges will be dropped, and peace will come."


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of the flight was spent in relative silence and occasional small talk.

When they finally landed, the four parted, from the docks in twos. Blake and Yang headed to their home on the southern side of Vale. Meanwhile, Weiss escorted Ruby back to the small studio apartment she shared with Pyrrha, staying only long enough to make sure Ruby made it to her own door safe and sound. Then she headed for her own home.

Inside of the apartment though, Pyrrha was fussing over Ruby's newest story of bravery and idiocy. It was a mix of pride and horror that she was well acquainted with, and that only Ruby could ever draw from her. Even after hearing the entire story for herself, Pyrrha wasn't sure where to begin scolding her lover for yet another injury that could have been prevented.

"I don't care what Yang thought she was doing when she started firing into the Grimm infestation. I want to know what you thought you were doing by taking on a Goliath stampede." Pyrrha ranted as she inspected her girlfriend for further injuries. "Of all the impulsive things you could possibly do. Does it hurt terribly?"

"Not really."

"You're lying. You don't seem to have a concussion but, I have the distinct impression you did at one time."

"My aura took care of it, Pyrrha." Ruby winced when she felt those soft gentle fingers press against her forehead.

"There, you see." Pyrrha sighed. "Ruby, it hurts, it has to. Please just admit it."

"I'm just a little sore." Ruby said, taking Pyrrha's hand into her own. "As for why I did it, I already told you, I was just trying to get them away from the villages."

"By jumping into the middle of the pack?" Pyrrha argued back. "Oh, Ruby, you're so reckless…"

"I'm okay." Ruby said. "Really, everything's okay."

"Are you?" She asked cupping Ruby's cheek. "You're not just saying that?"

"Pyrrha, I swear, I'm okay." Ruby said again. "I'm alright, I promise."

The older woman sighed, her red hair out of its usual confines due to the late hour. It cascaded around her like a crimson silk as she bowed her head low. For a long time she just stood there, breathing softly. Then her moist green eyes lifted, looking deeply into Ruby's. "Sweetheart, if I know anything, I know that it's never a good idea to fight battles on your own. You cannot repeat my mistake, we've been over this. You have your team with you, you absolutely must stay by their side."

"It wasn't exactly like I had a choice." Ruby told her. "Weiss needed to evacuate the village in case everything went wrong. Blake and I did the only thing we could think of to lead them away while Yang chased them."

"Ruby, you're lucky you didn't rush too far ahead with your semblance before getting hit and losing consciousness. Your speed can be your biggest danger, you need to understand that. What if Blake hadn't gotten to you in time? What if you had been trampled, or worse?"

"Nope. If I'm not allowed to think that way, neither are you. No more thinking about 'what if' since that gets us both into trouble." Ruby said, hopping off of the stool near the kitchen counter to stand to her full height. Pyrrha was still taller than her, and always would be. It was simply that Ruby made for a much more impressive looking huntress when she stood to her full height, scars and all peppering her body.

Pyrrha needed a moment before she nodded her head, agreeing to put the matter aside. "And there were no leads after all of that?"

"None. I don't know where Cinder is, but she's not in Vale."

"You're sure?"

"As sure as I can be." Ruby replied.

"I…" Pyrrha could only swallow hard. "I should be out there with you searching."

"You can't. I know you want to, but you just can't. You have to stay near Beacon." Ruby shot back. "With all the Grimm attacks getting worse, the people need to stay in high spirits. They see you, and they feel safe…they stay calm…right now, Vale really needs that. There's no point in going after the ones that destroyed Beacon if we can't make sure Vale stays safe this time…we rebuilt once, but there's no way we will be able to do it again."

"It's been years Ruby, I don't think the fighting will ever stop...somehow, I feel as if it will never have the chance to be completely at peace."

"It will." Ruby promised. "Vale's still in the middle of repairs. People haven't lost all hope. What does that tell you?"

"It still worries me that you think you can take that woman on by yourself. She's powerful, Ruby. More so than I assumed when I chased after her. The night that Beacon fell, things could have been different. If your uncle hadn't gotten there in time…you and I are so, so fortunate to be alive."

"That's why we have to do this right this time." Ruby agreed, desperate to pull that sad expression off of her girlfriend's features. "It's all in, together, or not at all."

Pyrrha shook her head. "I made a promise to help locate the remaining maidens and protect them, but there is no reason for you to be involved. You don't need to do this, Ruby."

"Getting into trouble runs in the family, Pyr, I can't help it." Ruby said as she wrapped her arms around Pyrrha. "RWBY and JNPR are a package deal now. We have to stick together. No one gets to be on super special maiden missions, or leaves, or does anything really crazy without the rest of us knowing. That was the promise we made, and I'm sticking to it. I'm not leaving you to deal with all of this junk on your own...not ever..."


	5. Chapter 5

Weiss couldn't wait to get home and see the woman in her life. Recently, Glynda had become an imperative part of it, without Weiss being able to truly pinpoint when, or even why she felt the way that she did. Sometimes, she even had a hard time even explaining her feelings. Perhaps it was because it was still fairly new and delicate, but Glynda was equally careful about the eggshells that they both seemed to walk on.

There was only one thing Weiss was completely sure of. Their relationship had been a gradual thing, perpetuated by mutual social responsibilities. There was no diabolical plan, or desire to take advantage for either one of them. It was merely that life had, inevitably, brought them together.

Be it for charity, activism, or merely a culling of the Grimm too close to Vale's protective walls, the two women crossed had paths often. Eventually they came to expect each other to attend such functions. For Glynda, it was a sworn oath and duty. For Weiss, it was merely shows of team loyalty, political support, and subsequently getting dragged along to whatever mayhem her friends happened to be involved in.

What had once been coincidence changed to a sporadic routine, and the more Weiss distanced herself from her family, the more she became known to the Faunus community. It was a small change, but one that made waves in Vale, prompting even more political functions, and invitations to influential parties. Ruby absolutely hated such events. It was impossible to get her to go unless Pyrrha coaxed her into it. To make matters worse, Blake was more than happy to have Yang escort her to such gatherings.

Weiss became used to attending alone, and frankly she was just a bit lonely during the more upscale affairs.

It was just another moment of happenstance when Weiss and Glynda shared one such function together without escorts. They spent much of that evening in shared company. Too many glasses of wine, and a few entirely candid compliments later made the catalyst for the relationship they shared now.

The white haired woman entered the home she shared with Glynda. It took up the entirety of floor thirty-eight in the Beacon tower. It was a simple abode, made classy by the carefully collected décor. Even the bed was state of the art. It folded out from the wall with a mere button press. What the apartment lacked in size, it made up for in convenience and privacy. The panoramic view of the skyline was one way, and wrapped around the entirety of the far side, gifting a perfect view of the skyline right from the comfort of their bed.

Resting on the bed with a globe of water levitating in her hand, was the famed Glynda Goodwitch.

Weiss knew not to interrupt her during training. The last time she had, the orb of water lost its form, bursting into droplets that soaked both Glynda, and the bed she was sitting upon. although it was mildly entertaining at the time, she didn't need a repeated performance. Instead, Weiss put away her weapon, and stored away the small satchel she carried with her on every mission.

Then she made a beeline for the shower, making quick work of the grime she accumulated out in the forest. Finally drying her long mane of white hair, Weiss braided it simply before slipping on a simple cotton nightgown and pair of lacy baby blue panties. She pushed aside the niggling fears about being a useless lesbian, and focused more on the fact that Glynda seemed more than happy with their current arrangement.

Glynda was finally done with her meditation by then, yanking back the sheets to invite Weiss into bed. "Welcome home." Glynda said simply, abiding by the rule that discussions of work related matters stayed well away from the comforts of the apartment. There would be plenty of time to hear the details in the headmaster's office the next day, when the whole of the team gathered together to give a full verbal report.

"It's good to be home." Weiss said tiredly, almost collapsing into bed. "Far be it from me to belittle Ruby's decision making skills, but some of us do not appreciate the joys of the wilderness." The soft mattress was heavenly after days of sleeping on solid ground. It didn't help that her aura was particularly low, and that an experienced huntress like Glynda could tell such details at a glance.

"She forgot to book an inn at one of the villages, didn't she?" Glynda asked with a smirk. It happened all too often.

"She merely chose not to." Weiss replied with a roll of her eyes. "Yang received some of that new biodegradable camping gear, and while I applaud the fact that it's useful for emergency shelter, you can certainly tell it's made of dust. Between Ruby's constant sneezing and the fact that none of the surfaces were soft, we finally slept on the ground on the third day. I'll give it credit though, the tents might come in a palm sized capsule, but after being deployed, they can survive a Grimm trying to tear into it."

"I was under the assumption that the tents were hypoallergenic." Glynda said softly, fingers toying through the soft white bangs that sat along her girlfriend's brow.

Weiss made a small hum. "A reasonable assumption, but that would imply medical grade dust was being used." She said tiredly, feeling her eyes slip closed.

"Quite." Glynda murmured, as though that had been obvious.

A small laugh drifted easily in the darkness. "The head of the SDC is not the sort of man to be so progressive in his thinking."

"Progressive or not, you'd think he'd wish to maintain his integrity. It's one thing to be short-sighted on accident. It's another to act with malicious intent."

Weiss opened her eyes, glancing at Glynda for a moment. "I agree, however, that would be our logic as huntresses. Medical grade dust is expensive to produce. It would cut profits down by half, if not more. I presume he uses raw, unrefined dust to keep costs low. I say that because even my eyes were itching, and I don't have allergies."

Glynda sighed softly at that, and at the fact that Weiss sagged under the weight of her own tiredness. Her aura softly flared under her skin, a gentle warmth lulling the woman into a deep sleep. One that would last well through the night and likely into the next morning. Glynda had come to expect such a thing from long missions, because Weiss was not as robust as her other teammates. She was a fighter born and built for precision. Decisive battles with an intuitive strategy worked wonders when paired with the fencer's slender form and agile attacks.

It seemed however, that the battles that went on during this mission were anything of the sort. It concerned her in more ways than one. Tucking the covers around the both of them, Glynda made a mental note to lessen the team's workload.


	6. Chapter 6

The southern side of Vale was a Faunus hotspot, and rightly so, as members of the community collected there out of fear for their very lives. After the fall of Beacon, the humans saw the Faunus as monsters, and small skirmishes broke out all along the already dismantled city. Those among the White Fang fought back, those with no prior affiliations huddled in broken down homes by the dozens out of terror and fear.

Then, the leader of the Vale branch was captured in a bloody attack that left him bound, gagged, and beaten. This show of force was what ultimately silenced the White Fang members, but before the angry mob of humans could finally end the bull Faunus, Oobleck and Port stepped into the ruckus, suppressing the humans and Faunus alike. Not only to save them from the rampaging Grimm, but to place down an ironclad force of authority over the riots.

Eventually, all that remained were murmurs of insults, and subdued protests.

When Blake returned to Vale, it was to find that all of the Faunus had been forcefully segregated from the humans for the safety of Vale. Animosity would only bring more Grimm. Dealing with the fighting took away valuable time and resources. With water and food supplies carefully rationed, and no sign of Ozpin in sight, the staff at Beacon were struggling just to maintain a sliver of peace among the two rightfully terrified factions that were on the brink of war.

Things had slowly changed for the better since then, but the echoes were not going to be soon forgotten.

"So, let's make a bet." Yang said offhandedly as they walked home. "I'll throw down two orgasms and a backrub that says Pyrrha's freaking out."

"That's not even a contest." Blake said as she somewhat carried Yang along in her quest for arriving home more quickly. "If you want to make bets, at least make them good ones."

"Aw, not even going to play?"

"You don't want me to answer that." Blake said, eyes flicking in the darkness to glance at the blonde. "I have every intention to put you to bed when we get home."

"Oh, feisty."

"I said put you there, not take you there."

"Well, damn, how about a backrub at least?" Yang asked with a waggle of her eyebrows.

"You won't last." Blake told her. "You never do after missions like this."

"That's not how you compliment a lady."

"Yang, your head will hit that pillow, you'll make a few more passes at me, and then just before I crawl into bed beside you, you'll be asleep. We both know this. It's the routine, and it never changes."

"You want me to change it?"

"Yang…"

"What is it, beautiful?"

Blake leaned over to kiss her softly in the dead alleyway. "I'm not in the mood, and neither are you...not truthfully."

"Babe, that's not an answer."

"I have no desire for you to change our routine. I quite like the way it is, thank you very much." She began leading them forward again, turning onto an open street full of homes, and a small corner store that was open twenty four hours a day. She noticed Yang was about to say something else, and silenced her instead. "No more being ridiculous. You're aura's low, and you're still partially drugged." Blake told her as they entered into the Faunus district.

The humans and Faunus, though still separated by districts, were no longer kept confined to their own people. Families of mixed races had been reunited, and things seemed to be looking up.

Vale was ever so slowly starting to come back together again, and it was in large part due to the struggles of the Beacon staff, and the joint efforts of the hunters and huntresses still working to rebuild the destroyed city. Teams RWBY, CFVY, SSSN, and others with mixed races undertook the civilian lockdown upon their shoulders, promising to act with force against the first human, or Faunus to step out of line.

At first, no one believed them, but, now everyone knew that the newest generation of hunters and huntresses weren't playing games. Change would be on the wind, weather the bigots liked it, or not.

The Faunus parted like the sea itself when they saw Blake walking by.

To say she had a strict no tolerance policy was an understatement. Faunus who fought with humans had two choices. Get sent to Menagerie and under the rule of her father, or face prison for putting Vale at risk…the humans were given a similar ultimatum by Glynda Goodwitch. They could choose prison, or be sent to Atlas where such racial disputes would no longer be Vale's concern. After several families had been sent away, and more rioters were locked away, people began to start putting their fury aside. Some even began to listen to reason.

It helped immensely, Blake assumed, that team RWBY consisted of two very powerful, very influential bloodlines. Choosing to work together with Weiss, was the same as demanding that the rest of Vale see beyond their anger, and above their differences. It also probably helped that Yang chose to live at Blake's side in the Faunus district, though the blonde haired woman never truly thought much of it.

They unlocked the door and stepped through the threshold in comfortable silence. Yang was still groggy from the medication she had taken, and Blake was mentally exhausted in more ways than one. The house was trashed, it hadn't been fixed up yet, she kicked the broken pieces of plaster that fell from the ceiling out of her way, and took Yang to the back of the house where an old mattress sat on the floor.

"Do you want to keep it on?" Blake asked, watching as Yang shook her head from side to side. "I'll detach it then." She said, carefully removing Yang's arm from the socket as carefully and gently as possible. Though it didn't hurt, Yang still flinched at the sound, a thousand memories coming back at once. Blake worked quickly and silently to get Yang out of her mission gear, dressing her in a white tank top and a pair of panties.

Not because Yang couldn't do it all herself, but because that distant look in Yang's eyes was something that Blake needed to get rid of quickly. Blake got into her own pajamas and pulled the stiff and rough blankets up over of the both of them. Tactile sensation and proof that Yang wasn't alone was what the blond needed most. Wrapping her body around the blond was the only remedy Blake knew of to chase away those little whispering demons in Yang's head.

Sleep claimed them together, and the worst of Yang's nightmares were kept at bay for one more thankful night.


	7. Chapter 7

Morning came far too quickly for those tasked with keeping Vale safe.

Anyone who knew Glynda Goodwitch, knew first hand that she was not a warm person by nature. In part it was her lifestyle that was to blame. Living alone for several years, a person tended to get used to that loneliness. In another part, it was also her work. Both as a huntress and as a teacher, a firm hand and strict sense of ideals was what kept her students alive. Lastly, though perhaps the most prominent reason for her sometimes cold nature, was that Glynda simply had a very low tolerance level for anything she deemed to be idiocy.

It didn't help that her peers in the field, such as Qrow Branwen, made public displays of his lack of decorum. Frankly, he disregarded almost anyone and anything around him, especially while drunk.

She ranted under her breath at great length as she righted a potted plant and placed the dirt back inside. There were only two people clumsy enough to tip over the rather large centerpiece that decorated the waiting area. Both of them were related, and neither of them had a habit of watching where they were going. Upon further inspection, Glynda discovered it was the young huntress that had knocked it over.

A single rose petal was enough to prove that.

Biting her tongue on the matter, she stepped through to the elevator and ascended several floors. When the doors opened, team RWBY stood in front of Ozpin's desk, issuing their team report on their latest mission.

"We made it out alive, didn't we?" Ruby replied, though to what she was referring to remained a complete and total mystery.

A black haired, freckle faced young man sat behind the impressive headmaster's desk, ignoring the fact that it dwarfed him. In fact, the whole office dwarfed him. Looking more than just a little intimidated by the team of female huntresses, he slouched. "Um...well, yes. Yes, I suppose you did do that."

Glynda raised an eyebrow at the scene but said nothing. If a person such as Ruby Rose intimidated him, she wondered how in the world the lad had made it all the way back to Vale with Qrow looking after him. Then again, Ozpin had always been a strange person, and Oscar was equally peculiar. "My apologies for being late. There were some complications regarding the students."

"There's no need for apologies." Weiss said softly. "You didn't miss anything that I didn't already tell you over breakfast this morning. The mission was, by all rights, a failure."

Oscar somehow found his voice again, looking just a little more at ease with Glynda there. Now at least he wasn't on the wrong side of four mildly agitated huntresses alone. then that stupid voice in his head spoke again, and he didn't seem happy about it. "Ozpin wants to know why you didn't ask for backup when you had the chance. He says he would have sent Qrow."

"It wasn't something we were willing to do." Ruby said. "As a team, we talked about it, but decided we couldn't afford the risk."

"Risk?" Oscar asked as if he were entirely clueless. It was obvious Ozpin had not prompted him to say that.

It was Weiss this time, who sighed at length. "This is becoming impossible. Our mediator is a child."

"Which is why I'm here." Glynda replied calmly. "Though I will ask that you humor his question."

"Allow me." Blake said, stepping forward, both palms bracing on the desk. "First rule of gathering information is to be as inconspicuous as possible. If you're noticed, it's over. Done." She stood to her full height again and sighed. "We might have pushed Salem's influence out of Vale, but we still don't know where she is, and until we do, we're running blind." Blake said with her arms crossed. "Besides, Ozpin knows just as well as the rest of us that scouting around Vale is completely hopeless. We need Qrow to keep searching in the remote areas. Having him help us would be a waste of time."

"But you just said you needed more people." Oscar said back. "How does that even work?"

"We need the right people in the right places." Blake said. "Let me get some people I know to help out."

"Blake, if I may be so bold, you presume too much." Glynda spoke up, coming to stand beside Oscar.

She wasn't quite sure what to think of the young man that was Ozpin's new vessel. They had yet to fully conform into one cohesive consciousness, and until that happened the teenage boy had far too many responsibilities on his shoulders. She tried to mitigate his burdens when she could, but Ozpin was a complicated soul. To make matters worse, she had no idea what went on in the confines of Oscar's head. The two males were vastly different personalities, and disagreed constantly.

Glynda had no way of knowing if Oscar could be trusted to report exactly what Ozpin was telling him. This level of blind faith was, in itself, terrifying.

"Presumption or not, I'll have to agree with Blake on this." Weiss said slowly, bulling Glynda from her worried thoughts. "With Blake now in control of the White Fang, the organization has finally stabilized once more. Let them fight in this battle."

"Salem is not a predictable threat, and furthermore, this is a war that will not be won with shows of power and bravado." Glynda replied with a carefully measured tone. "This war began before your time, and mine. We do not have the strength to defeat her, not presently. Furthermore, I doubt we ever will."

"Then we build our strength, and claim a victory." Ruby replied.

"Absolutely not." Glynda shot back. "Our success has always been measured by keeping her influence away from the people of Remnant. Ensuring that the maidens stayed out of harm's way was just one concern of many."

"And thanks to that, Beacon went tits up." Yang said, leaning against one of the pillars. She fiddled with a metal canister with her flesh and blood hand, the metal one stayed limp at her side, something that wasn't uncommon. "I'm all for keeping Vale under a tight watch, but we're spread too thin. A few more eyes and ears would be a huge help."

"It's a risk we cannot calculate. A betrayal down the line could be our complete undoing." Glynda told her. "You do not understand the nature of this fight. You particularly, Yang, fail to understand the delicacy of this matter. If your mother and uncle can't pinpoint Salem's whereabouts, what on Remnant makes you think that you can?"

Yang rolled her eyes, taking a deep drink of the flask in her hand. "I'm not a ditz, okay, I get it…but you can't stand there and tell me that you guys didn't already screw the pooch. Not that keeping an eye on Vale isn't important, but don't just shit all over our opinions. You don't have the right, and as for me, I have better things to be doing than listening to you complain about how powerless we are."

"Salem is dangerous."

"She's a crazy bitch with a stick up her ass, and if I find her, she's going to regret screwing with me. That's all I'm going to say." Yang turned on her heel and stormed out. A sight that was more and more common thanks to her semblance. Yang had begun to separate herself from the things that made her so angry, but honestly, they all hated that she still lacked a better way to control her rage. Yang was trying, but her temper would always be a force of nature in and of itself.

Ruby already felt the desperation leaking in. "This isn't working…" The young woman said sadly. "What if the reason for all of this bad stuff is because no one wants to take the chance? Uncle Qrow only told us the truth because he didn't have a choice. I was up on that tower that night. I saw everything…but if I hadn't, would he have said anything at all?"

"His orders were to keep quiet." Glynda explained. "The night at the tower, as you said, made it completely impossible. Jaune Arc was also privy to far too much to demand his silence. It made sense to ultimately inform the entirety of team JNPR, and the remaining members of RWBY once it reformed. You must understand, it's a matter of trust."

"Trust goes both ways." Ruby retorted.

"Lives were on the line." Glynda would not cave on that issue. "We acted with the best of intentions, and that was not something we could guarantee from others."

Ruby rolled it around in her head, but the excuse wasn't good enough for her. "After being out there, I don't believe that. It can't get any worse than what it's been." Ruby shrugged then. "We survived so far, so why not take a chance on the teams that were raised in that fighting? We were made to fight back, we went to school during the brink of war. We can take this."

Weiss bit her lip. "Not…everyone survived, Ruby."

"I know that, Weiss, but this is our job." Ruby told her. "I don't know if telling more people is the right thing to do or not. I'm still not sure what good we can do, or even if there's any good left in any of this…but, people don't become hunters and huntresses unless they're prepared for the worst. If you're not prepared to fight for your life, and the lives of others, you aren't a hunter, plain and simple. Honestly, if it ever comes down to my life, I would give it gladly if it stopped all of this fighting."

"We all would, Ruby, but that's no excuse to throw our lives away meaninglessly." Weiss told her. "The people of Remnant must come first, and to do that, we need peaceful resolutions. Fighting with Salem doesn't solve any of that."

"For now, the only thing you can do is rest. All of you." Glynda said smoothly. "In the meantime, I will comb through the entire mission report carefully, and confer with our other contacts. Though you don't agree, your orders are to remain tight lipped about the maidens, and Salem. I hope I don't have to remind you, a slip of the tongue would mean treason. This goes particularly for White Fang activates, Blake. Under your direct supervision or not, as an entity, they cannot be trusted…not yet."

"So, we're stuck in Vale until further notice?" Ruby groused unhappily.

"Don't say that like it's a bad thing." Glynda told her. "There is plenty to be done around here, and we need you ready to defend Vale properly if the need should ever arise. Therefore, until further notice, team RWBY is benched."


	8. Chapter 8

Since they weren't supposed to be wandering around without direct orders, Ruby and Yang kept themselves busy by doing repairs. Yang was pretty handy with manual labor, and Ruby knew her way around electronics, making the two of them ideal candidates when it came to dealing with repairs to the outer communication towers. Down below, Weiss was dealing with the programming the new system.

Not too far away, Blake was supervising a group of White Fang operatives who were trying their best to make reparations. They grumbled about the hard work, even though Blake was just as dirty and sweaty as they were. When they complained, she pushed them harder, reminding them that this was not only about repayment, but for their survival. This encouraged some of the workers to put forth an added effort.

Still, there was something unsettling about the way Blake ordered them around, and the way they responded to it.

"Does she realize how freaky she looks with her ears pressed all down and back like that?" Ruby asked conversationally. "It's like she's going to beat them all up, or something."

"Blake's keeping them all under her thumb. It's for their own good right now, but I won't lie, it bothers her sometimes." Yang began, watching on as Blake made a show of knocking one of her subordinates back down to size after he picked a fight with her. He landed face down in the dirt, clearly forgetting about Blake's semblance. "She says they're used to dealing with Adam, and because of that…because he…he…" Yang pulled a half smoked joint from behind her ear, lighting it to soothe the ache in her limb. Inhaling deeply she closed her eyes, trying not to let her chest constrict around the fears in the back of her head.

Ruby waited…she didn't know where Yang's head was taking her, but waiting was always the best thing.

When Yang spoke again, it was along with a slow billow of smoke as it escaped her lungs. "Because of Adam, all they know is abuse. She's doing the best she can to earn their trust, but what's even more important is earning the Ozpin's…the second that the White Fang are deemed a danger to Vale, they will be immediately removed and exiled…some of the members don't understand just what kind of damage they did."

Yang pulled another slow drag from the joint. She was shaking, and biting on her lip. Obviously she was in pain, and it flared up every now and then, but Ruby was sure this wasn't just the aching limb. This was emotional too, lilac eyes were closed, and they stayed that way until Yang calmed herself.

"Look at you, Yang…how can they not understand?"

"I jumped at Adam. He was hurting Blake, but I…" Yang grit her teeth and sucked in another drag. "Look, it was a freak thing. Who could have known? Those people, Ruby, if anyone ever did to you what I've seen lingering on them, I'd do way more than lob someone's arm of." Getting rid of the ashes on the tip of her joint carefully, she glanced over to her younger sister. "Spend one night talking with those people, and if their stories don't make you puke, then you have a tougher gut than me…some of them…they've seen some really twisted shit…"

"That doesn't make it right, Yang."

Yang said nothing at first, just smoked and let herself think. Finally, after a while, she spoke again. "I agree, but...well, that's really a matter of perspective." She had finished her joint, but was calmer for it. "Obviously a lot of the humans don't want Faunus around anyway, and that doesn't help much either."

"You really think they'll be able to get this farm back up and running?" Ruby asked.

"I'm sure they're going to do the best they can. Ozpin told Blake that anyone who contributes to the food shortages will have all non-violent crimes in Vale stripped from their criminal records. He also said they'll get an extra ration card every week as a thank you to the contribution…even if they don't believe Ozpin about the record stuff, they each got their first extra ration card today as a show of good faith. If they're as hungry as most are, they'll do anything to get those stupid plants to grow."

"Hopefully it works out well." Ruby said before she paused. "Hey, Yang, how many more of these towers do we have to get operational before we have full service again?"

"Weiss would know more about that, I think. Why, sis?"

"Dad's out looking too, so he doesn't know about Pyrrha yet…that we're living together and stuff. I want to tell him. It's just, that's not something I want to say in a letter. What if it falls into the wrong hands, you know? Her location isn't the kind of thing I want to spread around, but until his scroll has reception again, it's either a letter or nothing. I feel like he has a right to know...well, before me and Pyrrha get too invested...you know."

Yang seemed to think on this, her arms crossed as she took in the sprawling landscape. As a family, they were good at not saying the right things at the right time. Their father didn't make a habit of being sentimental unless it well and truly counted. That was always Yang's place, not their father's. Finally she reached for her flask and passed it to Ruby. "Ever tell you how I got this stupid thing?"

"No."

"Uncle Qrow gave it to me." Yang said after a beat. "It was one of the few things Raven left behind before she left. Qrow kept it all those years. I don't know why he suddenly decided to give it to me, but he did last time I saw him. He didn't explain himself, even when I asked. All he did was laugh at me and said one day, I'd figure it out."

Ruby unscrewed the cap and took a swing. It was nothing like the swill their uncle drank. This was high quality, yang only bothered with the good stuff. "I don't know what any of this has to do with me and Pyrrha, though."

"Dad knows all he needs to for right now. That you're safe, and that you're happy." Yang said after a bit. "Dad might not know everything, but one day, it will fall into place and you'll be able to tell him everything he's missed out on…but until then, he knows what he needs to…knowing anything else won't change the way we live our lives...and actually, Ruby, it really shouldn't."

"What do you think he'll say about you and Blake?" Ruby asked. "I mean, I know he won't care about the she's a girl thing, and he's fine with Faunus…but the White Fang part of it…"

Yang shrugged then, thoughtful as she took the flask back and took a drink, closing it up and putting it back into her side pouch. "I don't think that'll be his beef. Fact is Ruby, she left, and there's no way to defend that kind of thing to him. Not having her around really screwed me up, and, well…he had to watch that happen. I don't know if he'll ever be able to trust her, but it's not his problem anymore...it's mine, and I've made my peace with it."

"It sounds like you have it all figured out...I'm happy for you, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know it sounds that way, but that's not true. I've still got my head up my butt, same as always. Things just...make more sense with Blake around, I guess." Yang gave Ruby a distant look, guarded but not unfriendly. "Ruby, listen, you don't need his approval. You do you, and tell anyone who gets in your way to fuck off. Doesn't matter who it is, you tell them to eat shit. You don't owe anyone an explanation."

"Not even dad?" Ruby asked.

"Nope. You're a big girl, and it's not like you're all alone. I'm here if you ever really needed someone." Yang said, getting back to work. "Could be months before we get these stupid towers completely sorted out, so don't let that hold you back."


	9. Chapter 9

Ruby let loose a long sigh as she turned over on the sofa lazily, putting her scroll face down so that she didn't have to look at any more innuendo laden texts about her romantic life. Team RWBY was being benched to Vale for the time being, and though it sounded like a forced vacation, there was still too much to do, and Glynda was lining up odd jobs for them around the city for later in the week.

Although today was technically a day off, sitting around idly wasn't an option to Ruby. There were homes to build, people to feed, Grimm to extract from dilapidated buildings, and all sorts of other things that she could do, but Pyrrha would have none of it. She wanted Ruby to take a proper break, and Ruby couldn't find a way to weasel her way out of it...she finally caved, but only because Ruby knew tht Pyrrha was right.

That didn't stave off the restlessness though, and being bored gave Ruby too much time to stew in her own head.

"What's the matter Ruby?" Pyrrha asked, coming out of the bedroom with a soft frown on her features.

"Just thinking, I guess." She said holding up her scroll. "Yang's at it again."

"So I see." Pyrrha said with a gentle smile. "She only teases you so much because she worries."

"I know that." Ruby said as she sighed, putting her arms behind her head she gazed up at the ceiling. "Pyrrha?"

"Hmm?"

"Does it bother you that I'm not like Yang?" Ruby asked, flicking her gaze worriedly to her girlfriend.

Pyrrha came around to sit on the sofa, lifting Ruby's legs before adjusting them to lay across her lap. "No, not at all. Although I have no idea where a question like that came from."

"Well," Ruby started, "I just get the idea that I'm just not as good as her when it comes to people."

"I believe that conclusion depends strictly on the context."

It was a comfortable relationship. Ruby felt at ease with the way Pyrrha's hands rested upon her legs. The warmth emanating from them was soothing. Actually, almost all of Pyrrha was soothing. Her voice, her touch, even her gaze tended to be gentle. Ruby had come to expect such tenderness, as it tended to be routine. Even when it came to emotions like anger, Pyrrha rarely lashed out, choosing words over actions, and peace over violence when and where she could manage.

Of course, being a huntress included violent acts too, the profession would never be a harmonious one, but Pyrrha accepted that aspect too.

Ruby found that it was easy to speak her mind when she had such a non-judgmental partner...finding the right words to speak, however, was something much harder. "I suck when it comes to dealing with others." Ruby said softly. "I never really had to care about how I looked or acted. It didn't really matter too much. Real friends would stick around, and my team knew that even when I screwed up, I'd always do anything to make it right."

"Ruby, please tell me what's plaguing your mind." Pyrrha beseeched. "I have a feeling this goes deeper than that, and it bothers me to see you trapped in your own mind."

"Is it really that obvious?"

Pyrrha nodded. "We get half a carton of milk every week, and it's still over half full. You haven't been eating cereal, and I haven't had to bake cookies in weeks, so you haven't been eating those like usual either."

"So? What if I decided to demolish the box of strawberries instead?" As Ruby had grown older, she had developed a taste for fruit based ration bars, and sundried fruits. Two things she could stock up on and eat during long missions without fear of them going bad. However, her love of baked goods had never diminished, and chocolate chip cookies were still her favored desert.

Pyrrha laughed, shaking her head at the slight foolishness of the statement. "You have done that, but my point still stands. I would accuse you of spending too much time around Weiss, but she is no match for your love of sweets."

"I just keep thinking to myself that I should be more like Yang. That, and I must be a really sucky girlfriend sometimes. For example, Yang's a hopeless romantic, and she's always finding ways to completely sweep Blake off her feet." She gave Pyrrha a sad little glance at the thought. "I'm not in the least bit romantic, and I'd rather be slumming it around in some forest with a Grimm then going to any of those fancy parties you always have to go to."

It was a silly notion, of course, but it was obviously bothering Ruby to great length, and that just simply wouldn't do.

"Yang is also very quick to temper, and lashes out sometimes without meaning to. She is a wonderful person, but she would never be the type I'd seek in a suitor." Pyrrha noted. "And all truth be told, I would rather be away on missions too. Slaying Grimm and helping others provides immediate gratification and a sense of accomplishment. Those are two things I don't receive when dealing in politics."

"Yeah, but Yang's good at that stuff too. She takes Blake to those parties all the time, and keeps up with everything…and me? I'm just total crap. The moment someone with wads of cash to throw around comes by, I stick my foot in my mouth. They ask me about things that I really don't have an opinion on, and when I say that I don't have one, they look at me like I'm stupid."

"Ruby, sweetheart, don't worry so much about that. People who wish to donate money and goods to Vale, will do so out of the kindness of their hearts, not because a huntress fails to live up to their standards of decorum. I don't care what they think, and neither should you."

"Yeah, but everyone else cares…"

"You've been reading the tabloids again, haven't you?" Pyrrha deadpanned.

"I saw an article Weiss was complaining about, and then last time I stopped at the corner sore, I might have decided to look at the others. People are catching onto us, speculating and…um...they say some pretty nasty things." Ruby said with a frown.

"Like what, Ruby?" Pyrrha pleaded now. "What lies have you been reading?"

"For starters, that I'm no good for you, and everyone thinks that. All they see is some grungy woman with uneven hair and a ratty old clothes. They think I'm going after someone as wonderful and beautiful as you are just to use you. They don't care about my job, or Vale, they just care about the fact that I'm way out of my league, and that I need to step back…and then they take pictures of me and Weiss when we're on missions too…and that's when it gets really bad."

"Look at me." Pyrrha said then, a frown carving into her features. "Ruby, please if only for a moment."

"Sorry, Pyrrha…"

"Don't be." It hurt to see Ruby upset in any capacity. Their relationship was too fragile, too new, to withstand such critical, not to mention crude, critique without a few doubts copping up along the way. Even so, to know they had already greatly caused Ruby damage was an infuriating prospect. One Pyrrha did not take kindly towards. "Those articles are abysmal pieces of garbage, written and read by others who have nothing better to do than to spew lies and slander. They do not reflect my feelings for you, and they do not adequately reflect who you are."

"But-"

"No buts." Pyrrha cut her off. "I will not hear of it." She maneuvered on the too small sofa, until she was leaning over the shorter woman, fingers toying though those uneven locks of red tipped hair. Did the media even realize Grimm had done that to her? That Ruby had narrowly missed the claws of a deadly beast, and was all the more beautiful for such a thing? Did they even have the hearts to care? Pyrrha strongly doubted it. "Those articles are not your concern."

"Aren't they, though? They're about you too."

"You have too large a heart for you own good." Pyrrha murmured then. "Ruby, I care for you because of who you are. There is no other person, man or woman, who makes me feel the way you do. You are an above average intellectual in your own fields of study, don't forget that. The days you come home filthy, exhausted, with your aura drained beyond reasonable measure, I'm grateful you made it back home to me at all. If the media cannot see how wonderful you are, then it's their loss, because it most certainly won't be mine…"


	10. Chapter 10

"What in the world is my sister thinking?"

"I doubt she was, depending on her company."

"Are you implying my sister was provoked into writing this?"

Glynda let out a small laugh. "I'm implying that some people among our fold agitate your sister to no end, and when they do, she tends to lose sight of her temper. Opinionated though she may be, I'd wager she wouldn't have been quite so volatile, if she were in a better mood."

Weiss was hardly soothed by the thought of that. "Then she should focus on her own concerns. Not you and I."

Though, she couldn't quite blame Winter, either.

Glynda and Weiss were both public figures, both of them headstrong and capable. They were both women, which brought them under scrutiny, and they were huntresses, a highly questionable profession as of late. After all, not all hunters chose to be people that worked for the good of others. Some were greedy, dangerous people, who slaughtered Grimm because they had a taste for blood, not because it aided the people.

Even Weiss had take note of all the added social pressure they received. Furthermore, it was a difficult thing to be in such a complex and closeted relationship.

Compounding this, Glynda was not the easiest person to get along with when it came to work. She would always hold a much higher position of authority than team RWBY. Her word was almost the same as Ozpin's, and so it stood as law. Weiss was more than willing to compromise, given Glynda's several years of expertise. However, the same could not be said for everyone else. As such, there was a small divide between Weiss and her teammates when it came to mission related endeavors.

Out of her entire family only Winter knew, and didn't approve at all. The eldest of the Schnee siblings abhorred the idea. Concern for Weiss's happiness superseded Winter's retorts, but it didn't stop her from sending promises of retribution if ever Weiss was mistreated.

Weiss crumpled up one such letter and deposited it in the trash before sitting back down at the table for supper. "You don't have to entertain my sister's ludicrously bad temper, no matter what the cause."

"I'm used to it." Glynda said passively, pouring more sparkling cider for the both of them. "Besides, she's merely making a show of how annoyed she is. Honestly, I can't say I blame her."

"I don't like the way she speaks to you."

"Perhaps not, but she means well." Glynda murmured, even she found their budding relationship difficult.

Weiss scowled in a manner that was very much a carbon copy of her older sibling's expression when her feathers had been ruffled. Though Glynda would never dare admit it, she found such an expression cute. Perhaps it was because Weiss was younger, and her features were more delicate. Or maybe it was because she used the aggravated look more willingly than Winter ever did. Either way, Glynda always found herself amused by it.

"I'm afraid you'll have to elaborate." Weiss said, lifting her glass to her lips.

"Very well." Glynda smirked, tenting her fingers to rest her chin there. "Romance for the sake of a cause is a fickle thing, and Winter knows that. Times are difficult, and comfort for those such as ourselves comes rarely. She suspects that our relationship has something to do with our circumstances."

"So she's being a pain in the behind, so what? That's hardly an excuse."

"In many cases, romances such as those do not last." Glynda warned carefully. "Say we meet our goal and defeat Salem…an impossibly, but for the sake of argument, there would be nothing left…the one foundation upon which our union was built would crumble. It happens far too often among hunters and the military alike."

At this Weiss took a breath, her features softening. "That's incredibly offensive."

"Perhaps, but the slight falls onto me personally." Glynda righted herself, and went back to her meal. "It has little to do with you. I wouldn't concern yourself with it."

Weiss frowned at that, suddenly not very hungry anymore. With all of the poise and careful control beaten into her at a young age, she set down her knife and fork. "I am going to be concerned. Telling me not to worry will only force me to worry more. Ruby's right when she says there's no use tip-toeing around large issues."

Glynda took a breath. "Weiss, there are only two things a solitary huntress must concern herself with. Her safety, and her reputation. Everything else will come with time and effort."

"Didn't you have a team, same as everyone else?"

Glynda shrugged. "In my youth, I valued other things. As a result, I may have cultivated quite the long list of regrets. Needless to say, the emotional scars are still apparent to this day." Glynda sipped at her drink again, knowing that stalling was out of the question. "Our inner circle speaks rather openly, Winter is aware of my past. I'm sure she sees it as a threat to your wellbeing."

Weiss only offered a weak smile. "Saying it like that makes it sound like you're somehow robbing me of my innocence."

Glynda didn't ease the accusation. Instead, she sunk herself deeper into it. "In her eyes, perhaps I am."

"Never mind my sister, Glynda. What about you? Do you think that way…that you've somehow corrupted me?"

It took some time for the older woman to reply, but when she did, her words were soft and a bit uneasy. "Haven't I? Haven't we all, in some way or another?"

"If Yang dodged a question like that, you'd have her cleaning the arena floor with a tooth brush."

"What I'm saying, is that dire circumstances brought us to seek this relationship. If Beacon had not fallen and you had spent your time here, you would have graduated. Likely, you would have taken a different path. My influence on you would have been minimal. As such, Winter may have a point. This…whatever this truly is between you and I, may in fact be out of line."

"In that case, she may not be wrong." Weiss agreed. "However, even if it is out of line, that's for you and I to worry about, not Winter."

"She will be coming to Vale, have thought about what you might say to her?" Glynda pressed gently, wondering what Weiss was truly thinking. "I'm sure she'll have plenty of inquiries on the subject, and to that end, she will seek answers."

"There were only two paths to begin with. My future had always been streamlined in such a way. The first of which would have included being my father's prized little puppet, and that outcome needs no explanation."

"And the latter?"

"I don't know." Weiss replied just as softly. "Mind you prior to Beacon faltering, I never thought for a moment that such a thing was even remotely possible…so, under that stipulation, I was prepared to settle in Vale. If my father wanted to make my goals impossible, I always assumed I'd rely on my team. I could bide my time, gain popularity, and go back to Atlas when the time was right…assuming that there was even a right time to go back at that point."

"There seem to be many assumptions in your planning."

"It was my own blindness, I should have known better." Weiss waved the matter off entirely. "Either way, neither of those things happened. I'm not completely sure what's right anymore. My team has changed, my outlook most certainly has too, and what's left of my conviction may not be enough to appease my sister…I realize that…in the wake of disasters such as these, being so unsure about everything might be distasteful, but, it is what it is."

Glynda felt a pang in her chest at that. "In our line of work, distasteful or not, uncertainty is to be expected. What you must remember is that you are not alone." Although it was probably the wrong thing to encourage, Glynda found herself unable to care about the repercussions. "I am also by your side. I have no intention of casting you aside, Weiss, no matter what anyone else may assume."

* * *

 **AYangThang:** I was woken up from my slumber, and cannot fall back to sleep, so I thought I'd post up the next chapter. Hope you liked it. Back when I wrote this chapter, I was still trying to get a good feel for these two as a couple...what minor disagreements would be like, things of that nature, so I hope it was enjoyable.


	11. Chapter 11

An educated huntress was a powerful one, and of course, this extended to education that extended far beyond just slaying beasts.

Pyrrha was consumed in a book that Blake had given her about Faunus customs. With the way her cheeks held a blush, Ruby was more than positive there was nothing she wanted to do with it. Having been a teammate to Blake, and having Yang as a sister, there were plenty of things Ruby would have been better off never knowing. Though, as she had told Blake one evening after a few too many shots at the local pub, her disgust came strictly from Yang's involvement. After all, no one wanted to think about what their sibling did behind closed doors.

Blake took the Ruby's embarrassed rant in stride, and even promised to try to get Yang to behave. It was a failed effort each and every time, but it was the thought that counted.

Now, if only Ruby could get Yang to lay off when it came to her own romantic endeavors, or lack thereof, things would be right as rain. Another text came through and Ruby looked at it before turning bright pink and deleting it. Now was not the time to fall for Yang's teasing. The studying was important for Pyrrha, and shouldn't ben interrupted. She had been welcomed among Ozpin's inner circle, and required a far deeper understanding of the world at large.

Pyrrha had always been destined for greatness, studiousness suited the redheaded woman.

Ruby, while considering herself a fabulous huntress, was happy to be a simple commoner. She didn't mind watching from afar as her goal oriented friends claimed positions of power and recognition. Blake, Weiss, Pyrrha, and even Ren had lofty goals and emotionally driven concerns. Ruby simply wanted to help people while waiting for the next mission to fall into her lap.

However, even she had things to do today, and began her afternoon in earnest. She was never good around the kitchen, only campfires and grills. Still, she could make a sandwich and iced tea just fine. Setting herself to work with the lettuce, cold cuts, pickles, and condiments, she made three moderately sized sandwiches and a thermos of tea to go with it.

Carrying Pyrrha's meal to the end table she smiled. "I'm going to go check in on Jaune."

This got the green eyed woman's attention, and she looked to Ruby with only a hint of concern. "Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?"

Ruby bit her lip, but declined the offer. "No, this is something I should do for him on my own."

"That's true, but I'm his partner. It's my responsibility to look after him, and, truthfully..." Pyrrha trailed off with a tired sigh. "Well, he's been a little out of sorts."

"No one would ever question your loyalty to Jaune." Ruby told her. "Besides, I haven't been around much, and I should probably talk to him."

Pyrrha rubbed her eyes. It was hard to argue that. "You're right. I know that you are, but he's been so stubborn."

"Do you blame him?" Ruby laughed. "He knows all the work you have. The Faunus rights rally is next week, and Blake asked you to be a core speaker on behalf of the humans willing to support the cause. If Jaune found out you were more focused on him than the rally, he'd never forgive himself if things turned sour…" Ruby's voice grew soft. "Talk about being out of sorts then..."

"There is so much more that I must do to prepare, too." Pyrrha looked down at the tome resting on her lap, she wasn't even halfway done. "Thank you, Ruby, truly."

"Don't mention it." Ruby said, bending down to give her girlfriend a quick kiss on the lips. "I won't be gone too long."

Jaune lived in the next apartment over. It wasn't a coincidence. He wasn't quite the same after watching Vale crumble around him. Some just weren't meant to see that kind of destruction, and though he coped with it as best he could, he was still recovering from the shock of it all. He was, as always, his own worst critic. She allowed herself into his apartment, where he sat tending his sword, the stubble on his face patchy and unkempt.

He sat shirtless, the bandages along his chest and arms were a recent injuries from when a crumbling building finally fell, and with him inside.

She sat the try of food down on the table, swiping away his tools, not minding that they clattered into the floor. "You need to eat eventually." Ruby told him, crashing down on the sofa next to him, and grabbing the first aid kit that he kept under the table.

"I've got food, Ruby…give it to the people down the hall. There's a family in there." He said quietly.

"Hunters have a huge metabolism because of our aura. If you don't eat, it won't stay strong and protect you like it should." She said biting into her own meal. "Pyrrha told me about how you saved that family, ya know. If it wasn't for you, they wouldn't have made it."

"If Nora hadn't been there to break up the rubble, _I_ wouldn't have made it." Jaune said with a sigh. "That doesn't exactly deserve praise."

"Yeah, well I ran face first into a goliath. If it hadn't been for Blake, who knows how I would have ended up." She said, licking some mayo off the side of her mouth. "We do stuff like that because we can take it. I mean, yeah you could have been hurt a lot worse, and that's never good….but the alternative?" Ruby let the question hang in the air a moment. Leaning back, she put her feet up on the corner of the table. "Don't belittle your own hard work, Jaune, because the fact is you do it. You get it done the best you can, and that does deserve praise."

"If you say so…" Jaune said.

"Let's just get you cleaned up." Ruby murmured. "It must suck to have to wait for someone to help you."

"Pyrrha makes sure the cuts on my back stay clean." He shrugged, reaching for the lunch Ruby had made him. Guiltily, he took a bite. "Hunters get way too much food."

"Not when they're like you and give all of it away." Ruby chuckled. "Cubed calorie rations aren't actual food Jaune. You can't live on those alone."

"We don't need as much as we get." Jaune said.

"Which is why Pyrrha doesn't smack the crap out of you for passing yours out to people who do." Ruby grinned, tossing the dirty bandages in the trashcan by her feet. "We don't mind sharing food, like you say, we get plenty, but we also get way more than the average hunter because we all take dangerous missions that require we stay fit. You need to start eating right so we can get you back out on the streets. I don't like the idea of Pyrrha wandering around without you."

"Speaking of, how are you guys?" Jaune asked. "She…um…we don't talk about it as much as we should."

"It's a little strange, putting myself out there so much for another person in ways I never thought I would." Ruby admitted a bit, the shyness in her tone coloring her words. "I don't know if what we have is really normal or not. I don't have anything else to compare it to, but being with Pyrrha makes me happy. I think I make her pretty happy too, and I guess really that's all that matters."

"Yeah," Jaune said taking a swig of the iced tea. "I'm no expert, but, that sounds about right. Like it's the way it should be."

"It wasn't your fault, you know." Ruby said offhandedly.

"Yeah..." He sighed. "Yeah, I know..."


	12. Chapter 12

The day had been long, too long for Blake's taste.

White Fang rallies hadn't seen the inclusion of humans on the podium in decades. Blake's father was the first to demand the inclusion of humans to better the cause. In those days support was hard to come by. Faunus hated the idea that humans might make glamorous speeches on their behalf, especially when so many of them refused to use their power where it really counted. Speeches were safe, but politics were an entirely different matter.

There were only a small handful of humans who spoke up for the cause. Fewer still that acted purely with the intent of bettering Remnant for all. Blake had connections, and she intended to use them.

Some thought it to be a gutsy move, and others found it in poor taste. No matter how the public thought of Blake's actions, however, no one could deny that it was causing a new wave of controversy, one that spilled over into bigots on both sides. Blake wanted that verbal uproar, and she would pour gasoline on that fire until it was raging. She knew just the people for the job.

Blake made both the opening and closing statements to the rally, choosing to stay quiet most of the time. She left the rest to other members of the White Fang, and her carefully selected group of speakers.

Weiss Schnee had become a household name furiously debated over. Some thought her loyal, others were sure she was waiting to knife them all in the back. She was neither loved nor completely trusted by either faction, but no Faunus could deny that her public opinion of Faunus rights swayed distinctly in their direction. Her speeches always focused on workplace discrimination, unjust racial profiling, unsavory healthcare, and the unforgiveable and abusive use of Faunus labor. It was no surprise that she demanded change that spanned the entirety of Remnant, and not merely within the borders of Vale.

Pyrrha's appearance was more warmly received. Her family favored the Faunus rights movement hailing back several generations. They worked closely with the island of Menagerie, too. Owning property in some of the most dangerous areas. Only a wealthy person could afford the protection needed for the local fishermen. Very few human families could get ahold of such property, and they paid handsomely for it…without such investors, the economy would have been doomed to fail before it had the chance to thrive.

With the people willing to lend her their ears, she gave her first official speech. As her mother and father before her, Pyrrha spoke of reforms needed in government, and the citizens of Remnant as a whole. She tried desperately to speak to them on their level, but her fame made that very hard to do. At the end of the day, she felt as though the only true good she could do came from her sponsorships. Five containers holding industrial sized bags of cereal had been airdropped into Vale that morning strictly for the Faunus food kitchens…it was hardly enough, but more than Pyrrha expected.

As always, Glynda Goodwitch offered a momentary show of support. She hand no problem reminding the citizens that in times of need, discrimination was not to be tolerated. Coco Adel offered canned goods and clothing directly from her family's business. Velvet stumbled her way through her speech uneasily, and Sun made more of a ruckus than anything else. Several members of the White Fang voiced concerns, and encouraged other Faunus to join the now mostly peaceful cause.

After the rally, there were parties at the local pubs for most of the commoners. Blake couldn't turn down the invitation even if she wanted to. She made it through the front door of her home before two in the morning, and exhaustedly, she counted it as a blessing...

She divested herself of her white coat, and then the blue and white chest armor she wore underneath, sporting their logo. Honestly, she hated the metal contraption and found the entire thing far too militant for her liking, but, she made due with it for the sake of the organization. Rallies could prove dangerous, and the armor was an added layer of protection. She was sure the White Fang considered it a form of unity since she outlawed Grimm masks the moment she took over.

She meandered weakly into the shambles of the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water that sat on the counter all by its lonesome. She sipped it as she sat down on the stool, trying to absorb the quiet after such a loud day. For as outspoken as she had to be, her father belonged on stage, not her. Blake felt as if she was only going to fail the rowdy and easily ignited Vale branch of the White Fang.

It seemed as though her limits crept up on her.

She heard the quiet footfalls and felt the warmth that could only come from Yang as firm hands fell onto the back of her neck and shoulders. The blonde went to work smoothing out the stress, smirking to herself as Blake leaned into her touch. "I heard all about the rally, wish I could have been there."

"You know the rules, no one under the age of twelve." Blake said quietly. "I needed you to stay behind with the others to watch over the kids."

"I love that you have such faith in me…but really, there were a bunch of people there. You didn't need me to babysit everyone." Yang said offhandedly, but, she could tell Blake still had her reservations on the subject.

Blake sipped from her water bottle, ears folding back tiredly. Her eyes slipped shut a moment later. "We're still clearing out Grimm. Plus, with the food shortages at an all-time high, people are getting desperate to run the Faunus population out of Vale. What better way than to charge after a peaceful gathering of unarmed, outspoken Faunus? There's a reason every guest speaker I had up on that stage works as a hunter under Ozpin's command."

"Well…when you put it that way." Yang frowned. She didn't think about that. No one but sanctioned hunters were allowed to be armed. A weapon license wasn't good enough anymore. "Well, it's not like Grimm are going to start tearing ass out of the park or anything."

"Either way, I needed to know someone would handle it. You and Ruby are the only ones I'd trust wandering around near a bunch of defenseless kids and their, unarmed, easily provoked parents." Blake said offhandedly. "Besides, they don't need to be involved in this. The way I see it, if you're not old enough to enter into a combat school, you're too young to attend rallies."

"I get that, and I totally agree with you. The thing is, a lot of their parents aren't too thrilled. They were complaining today about not having the entirety of the members present and accounted for." Yang said with a shrug. "The parents want their entire family to be there…I guess it comes down to pride…"

"That's just it, Yang. Their kids were born into the White Fang. It comes down to ego." Blake corrected softly. "One of the mistakes my father made was letting children attend those rallies unchecked…myself included. He unintentionally cultivated an uprising of radical little shits who couldn't be bothered to understand the intent of his words."

"Erm, being a little harsh there, aren't you?"

"Am I?" Blake asked. "They think the way they do because they're exposed to every extreme. They don't escape it. They don't get to see a world that goes on day by day uneventfully…I would be doing all of us a huge disservice if I followed that path. The younger members should not deal with an adult's burdens."

"I'm just warning you what kind of complaints you'll find on social media tomorrow, that's all." Yang said earnestly, even as she reached forward to pull Blake's scroll out of her hands. "And I mean it when I say tomorrow…"

"I really should give it a glance."

"Tomorrow."

"I'll have so many replies to sort through it'll be a chore."

Nope.

"Yang-"

"No." The blond interrupts, her voice sterner than usual. Hot breath ghosting over the top of Blake's head, and inadvertently her ears. Yang's fingers tighten ever so slightly, as her thumbs pause their movements. "Listen here little miss I'm-nocturnal-and-I-don't-need-sleep, we've been here, done this, have the T-shirts…it's not a fun trip, Blakey, you know that." Yang replied softly, each word a personal reminder that no one could function off of determination alone.

"You're not going to be reasonable about this, are you?"

"Nope! Now, the way I see it, this goes two ways. You can come to bed the easy way. Or I can toss you ass over tits and cuddle you in a big bear hug until you surrender. Choice is yours." Wrapping her arms around her lover, Yang could feel her victory the moment Blake's head lulled to the side.

Blake turned, giving Yang a glare, but it softened the moment she saw that fraction of worry lingering in lilac eyes. It was astounding how domestic her partner could be. Always caring, putting others first instead of herself…but there was some selfishness there too. Yang was obviously tired, and she hated sleeping alone. She would stay up all night waiting for Blake to join her if she had to…anything to keep from being alone in the darkness.

The choice was simple, but she didn't dare show her concern, knowing Yang hated that. "Oh, just shut up and carry me to bed. We both know that's what you're after."

Yang didn't need to say anything else as she scooped Blake into her arms. She knew what Blake realized, and held fast to their unspoken promise not to address it. Some shadows were meant to be left well enough alone.


End file.
